Substantial efforts to develop and perfect artificial blood pumps have spanned approximately 10 years. Research has been conducted both in the area of heart assist devices and total replacement units. One prominent design involves a flexible bladder enclosed in a metal alloy housing. Gas is injected between the bladder and the housing to cause the bladder to eject its contents through a one-way outlet valve. Release of this gas allows the bladder to expand and fill through a one-way inlet valve. The inside of the bladder is flocked with fibers of a blood-compatible polymeric material to promote formation of a stable biological interface between the blood and the bladder. During normal operation, the inside surfaces of the pump bladder should not be permitted to contact each other. Such contact interferes with the flocked fiber and the biological interface on the bladder surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a blood pump in which the inside surfaces of the bladder do not contact each other.
Another object of the present invention is to maximize the volumetric efficiency of the blood pump so as to minimize the overall pump size.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for adjustability of the inlet and outlet conduits of the pump both before and after connection so as to optimize pump performance and avoid interference with a patient's vital organs.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact structure arranged so that external shape and surface characteristics will not interfere with a patient's vital organs.